The Darkness of Jusenkyo
by TheonLee
Summary: Four months after the events of The Curse of Jusenkyo, members of the expedition have begun adjusting to their new lives. But those peaceful days were short-lived as secrets of the curse and ghosts of the past threaten to destroy their future.
1. Part 1: Four Months On

It's out! The sequel to The Curse of Jusenkyo! If you haven't read it yet please do if you'd like to continue with this story. For those who have, I made little adjustments to the final chapter so you might want to read it again. I'm still trying to improve on how I end things because frankly it's kind of hard so bear with me on that. I hope the wait wasn't too long. A year's not too bad right?

So the story of Jusenkyo continues on as we pick up from where CoJ left off. I hope that you'll enjoy this journey I'll be taking you on.

Without much ado, let's get started!

Disclaimer: (Haven't done this in a while) Ranma 1/2 is not my property, not even any of its related merchandise.

* * *

**The Darkness of Jusenkyo**

Part 1

Four Months On

It was remarkable that he managed to stay in one place for more than a few days. He should have ended up somewhere halfway across the country by now. Nearly three months had passed and he was still rooted to the same location and he was proud to have achieved such a feat. The very long rope Akari tied around his waist was helpful too.

Not wanting to throw away this gifted time, Ryoga got busy with whatever he could do around the Unryu Sumo Pig Dojo. He was however confined to how far the rope stretched and under Akari's orders – which he did not mind at all – he was to never untie it without her supervision. That troubled him though whenever Akari needed to travel to the nearest town herself. He insisted that he should be the one going for groceries, equipments and other needs but Akari, although flattered, was not going to risk him getting lost along the way. So Ryoga would stay behind while Akari went out with Katsunishiki.

He would be restless the whole time Akari was away and to make matters worse Ryoga was still uncomfortable being around Akari's friendly pigs. They were even treating him like one of their own. It was as though they could sense his locked away pig curse. On his first week he woke up during the nights to snoring pigs sprawled out around him. He would shoo them, roll them or carry them out of his room until he became too tired to even keep his eyes open. He tried repeatedly to get them to stay away but they kept on crawling back to his sides. He eventually gave up and soon realized that having them as company was not so bad.

Contention began to grow among the pigs though – the males in particular. It started when they saw Ryoga going through his morning routines. Akari had warned that being sumo pigs, they were very competitive. They would glare at Ryoga, pulling pranks and setting traps and some even fought him. Akari needed to constantly break up those fights and calm the pigs down but found it all amusing at the same time.

Besides learning to bond with the pigs – eventually – Akari taught Ryoga about their style of sumo wrestling. He was amazed that the sweet and gentle Akari was a martial artist. She wasn't anywhere near his level but she could definitely hold her own. After all, who else trained those pigs?

She showed Ryoga her art and then let him learn with Katsunishiki. Despite having defeated the oversized pig once, Ryoga humbled himself and only used the techniques specific to the styles practiced by Katsunishiki and Akari. It has now become part of his daily routine in Akari's dojo and an added value to his skills.

Right now he was just finishing another session with Katsunishiki under the watchful eyes of the master herself. The last time they trained in the dojo the two nearly broke the place down. Neither of them could keep their strengths and competitiveness in check so Akari had them train in the empty lot behind the house. Even then she watched over them in case the two started getting really serious. After three months of intense sparring the training ground was littered with marks of battle, so much that the soil had become loose and dead with little green left.

"Nice workout today Katsu," said Ryoga.

The large pig gave out a snort of agreement. He was the only one Ryoga felt comfortable interacting with – after persistent encouragements from Akari of course. In the beginning Katsunishiki made it clear that he did not like the idea of Ryoga staying with them, treating the boy like a pest. He would often get on Ryoga's nerve and it would quickly turn into a brawl where Akari had to step in. It was not long before the two got tired of hating each other. There needed to be some reconciliation if they were going to live under the same roof so their martial arts sessions became a medium to help improve their relationship.

"Looks like he's okay with you calling him that now," said Akari.

"Not exactly," said Ryoga just as Katsunishiki took a swing at him which he managed to dodge. Ryoga made a face at Katsunishiki.

"Don't tease him Ryoga," said Akari.

"Sorry," said Ryoga.

Akari handed a glass of water as Ryoga came near her. He thanked her and gulped down his drink in one go.

"Slow down," said Akari but Ryoga had already finished.

"What time is it?" said Ryoga, handing back the empty glass to her.

"Nine-thirty," Akari answered.

"Alright. I'll go freshen up and then we'll head to town," said Ryoga.

"Okay," said Akari.

He went back into the house and headed upstairs to get a fresh change of clothes. He chose one among the many choices Akari had bought for him. It adds more color to his life she had said.

He entered the bathroom on the lower floor, finding Akari already inside preparing the tub for him.

"There you go," said Akari, finishing up before walking out.

"I'll come later to wash your back," said Akari.

Ryoga only nodded. He was already living with her for three months but it was still awkward to have her do this every now and then. In fact anything he did with her still felt a bit strange – in a nice sort of way.

"Oh, almost forgot," said Akari before untying the rope around Ryoga's waist and then dropping it to the floor outside the bathroom.

Maybe it was because they were not married which was a topic Ryoga did not like to talk about. Akari brought it up a while ago. They briefly exchanged opinions but never took it further. The idea never left his mind though. He wanted to be married to Akari more than anything. It was a chance for the happiness he had always searched for. That opportunity had come but, even to his surprise, he was beginning to doubt his wishes.

Dating Akane had been his dream ever since he saw her. He would imagine their conversations over lunch, her smile and laughter as they went through the day together while holding each other's hands. He even saw as far as them having a family, complete with kids running around chasing Shirokuro and her offspring. It had all been wishful thinking but in truth their relationship was never more than just friends. As his hopes started to fade a new face emerged, lighting up his life again. This time he felt there was a chance that this could be the moment he was waiting for. To think that someone could accept him for who he was, curse and all. He and Akari started to write to each other afterwards, learning more about each other, eventually succeeding in meeting up again some time after.

Those were the simple steps. The seed they planted had grown, showing some healthy roots and green leaves. It was beyond the playful stuff now and into a stage where serious decisions were to be made. They were admittedly scared upon agreeing to live together because they knew at that point, without needing to say a word, they were closing in on the big play.

Looking back, Ryoga was afraid they might be going too fast with this. The more he thought about it, the more he realized his image of a happy family was not one close to reality. Akari's parents left her while she was a child and the responsibility to raise and care for her was shouldered by her grandfather. Ryoga's parents, like him, were at most times not around, lost somewhere in the wide world. Neither had their parents around as role models to prepare them for that stage in life. Instead of the perfect family he envisioned, his fantasies were occupied with all the things that could go wrong.

The biggest problem was the curse. Sure it was sealed now but there could still be side effects from the ancient magic. Who knows what kind of mutations or curses their children could suffer from. Or worse. He couldn't do that to them.

He left out the death curse part when he told Akari though, only explaining how his pig body was now sealed. He couldn't tell her about that. There was no need to worry her. At least, not now. His girlfriend still sulked for a few days after realizing she wouldn't be seeing his cute pig form ever again. She got over it eventually. She still loved him after all, cursed or not.

Ryoga doused some cold water onto himself. He was reluctant to admit it but he missed his pig form too. It was strange to now find himself still standing on two legs after getting soaked with cold water. He remembered all the times he needed struggle to get out of his massive clothes then dragging them around in his smaller body. Living with Akari and her pigs constantly reminded him of it too. So did the faint humming beneath his skin whenever he comes in contact with cold water.

He then climbed into the tub and sighed with delight as the hot water coated his skin. Autumn was nearing its end and the air was getting colder as winter approached. Having a warm place to live in was much nicer than bracing the harshness of the wilds. He barely remembered a time he managed to keep himself in his house long enough against the heat and cold. He always ended up lost somewhere vulnerable to the beating of nature. The warmth of Akari's house felt alien to him and he wondered if he could ever get used to such comfort as for a long time he believed he belonged out there.

As he sat in the tub, he thought of how much time had passed. It had been four months since their trip to Jusenkyo. It was blissfully strange to not change forms every now and then. On one hand he did not need to worry about larger animals chasing him or being crushed by his own things as well as preparing hot water to change back. But ever since, the days seemed to pass by in a blur. He would barely remember anything from the day before because nothing about it was strange enough to be memorable. Life was normal.

But something did happen amidst the mediocrity. The budding friendship that found its spark around a campfire that night in China had become stronger. Whenever luck was on his side, he would bump into members of the 'Return to Jusenkyo Expedition' team. He could not help but smile upon meeting familiar faces and found their conversations to be delightfully engaging. They would talk about what has been happening around town while he would talk about the things he had seen. He never knew such a relationship and it was one that he would never want to let go of.

Akari knocked on the bathroom door and he took it as his cue to climb out of the tub. He reached for a small towel to cover the lower parts of his body and grabbed a stool to sit on. He called for Akari to come in. She had changed her clothes to the ones she always wore whenever she came to wash Ryoga's back; a yellow sleeveless t-shirt that looked like his and a pair of shorts that covered only half her thighs. And with her hair tied up high, she looked incredibly sexy.

"Come," she said.

He turned around to let her wash him. She pulled up another stool and sat just behind him. His body tensed momentarily at her touch but then eased in as she worked the soap all over his back. They were quiet, just like any other time she did this. He would sit there, trying to steel himself and not faint at their proximity while she ran her fingers all over his skin wondering what was on his mind.

"Ryoga," said Akari.

But today seemed like it would not be another quiet session between them.

Her voice was soft as she went on.

"How long will you be gone?"

"A month maybe," said Ryoga.

He had gotten a letter from Akane three days ago in which she said his mother had returned home, bringing news about his father. It said he would be in Nerima in a few days' time carrying a cure to their directional curse. Ryoga decided to head to Nerima then and there. Akari was a bit sad that he had to leave but Ryoga assured her that he would come back. "And you wouldn't need to tie that freakishly long rope around me anymore," he had joked.

She wanted to come along but Ryoga insisted that she stayed. The next sumo wrestling tournament was in winter and she needed to train the pigs for that. He promised that he would make it to the tournament all curse free.

There was a pause before Akari continued speaking.

"Ryoga, about us. I think that … we … –"

"A-About marriage?"

"Yes," said Akari. "Would you … consider it while you're away? I-I know you're worried. It's a big thing after all. We wouldn't just be two people living together in one house. We'd be husband and wife. Parents to future children." She chuckled a little there. "I know there's that possibility of them having the curse too and getting lost all the time. I could imagine myself worrying so much about them but then you'd come comfort me before going off to find them but end up getting lost yourself."

"Well, if this cure works we don't need to worry about that anymore right?" said Ryoga.

"Right!" Akari cheered up a bit, hearing a hint of agreement in Ryoga's words. "But what I'm saying is that, we can overcome all that together. And marriage would tie us to each other stronger. Don't you think so? I mean, don't you think about having a family of your own?"

"I do, Akari," said Ryoga. Akari smiled at that.

"Then, you'll think about it? It doesn't have to be so soon. I get it. Just, at least consider it while you're away. Okay?" said Akari.

He really did want to make it official between them. But other things were coming in the way. The sealed curse, the bad sense of direction which apparently is a curse too. Then again, he could just be worrying too much. Maybe everything would be fine. Maybe their kids would grow up without it. Sure there was a risk but if that happened they could find a way around it. He would make sure of it. This was his chance for happiness, one that he had been looking for in a long time and it would be foolish to let it slip away.

"Okay," said Ryoga.

He was caught by surprise when Akari touched the back of his head with her forehead. She breathed in the scent of Ryoga's hair mixed with the fragrance of the soap. They stayed like that for a bit, listening to each other's heartbeats.

"I love you," said Akari.

Ryoga smiled and reached for her right hand on his shoulder, giving it a little squeeze. Even after moving in with Akari he found it hard to say the same words back to her. Was it was fear or doubt that held him back? He thought of saying them but somehow he felt the words were not real. What if she could hear the doubt in them? But it also hurt to not say it back.

Akari gently pulled her hand away and leaned back to sit up straight.

He wondered if he ever was hurting her. He hoped not. She was his spring he called it and he did not want to screw it up. But he was afraid to ask her, to find out for sure.

"Well, I'm all done. Don't take too long now. It's best to be at the market before noon," said Akari.

"Okay," said Ryoga.

She walked out of the bathroom and Ryoga continued washing himself. He was done after five minutes and then went to put on his clothes, afterwards going back upstairs for his travelling pack. He came down to find Akari already at the door with a large basket in hand. The plan was to first follow Akari and Katsunishiki to the town and help her out with the groceries before going off to Nerima. Akari had also given the boy a set of detailed maps and detailed instructions on how to get there, hoping to cut some time and prevent him from getting lost.

That should be more than enough to help Ryoga find his way to Nerima. But then it is Ryoga.

His journey took him nearly two weeks.

* * *

It was not an often occurrence for the Nekohanten to be so full on a Saturday afternoon. There were other lunch spots around after all but today it was as though they were the only open joint on the block. Then again it did look like there were more people than usual out today. Not that Cologne was complaining even though it meant more work for them. It was a welcomed change of pace as the past four months had been rather quiet since their return from Jusenkyo.

Life was very normal now. The usual craziness seemed to have gone away with their curses. A lot of what happened in the past had something to do with them one way or another after all. With those curses now gone, their days felt a lot slower, so much that it was disorientating for a while.

Shampoo and Mousse at least had their work in the Nekohanten to fill their days. They groaned at the extra load and shifts Cologne gave them ever since they returned. "Think of it as a homecoming celebration," Cologne had said.

They really did have one though. There had been a huge crowd on the re-opening day and the customers were presented with a number of new items but not of course forgetting long time favorites. The Tendos and Ukyo were among the swarming customers too and together they had their own celebration. Ever since then, the restaurant became their place where they met and kept up with whatever progress everyone was going through.

Imagine their surprise when they found out that Mousse and Shampoo were going out together. Shampoo insisted that there was nothing serious going on and that they were just giving it a try. Mousse did not seem to agree and saw it as a real thing. He tried to hide that though but it was not difficult for the others to catch on. "Just give it some time Mousse," Akane had encouraged him.

The three Chinese amazons, being the only staff in the restaurant, were constantly coming in and out of the kitchen to serve the packed hall. Amazingly they carried this out with maximum efficiency. Everything flowing as smooth as a calm river. Mousse had so far been able to stay out of trouble, no longer tripping over his feet or screwing up the orders. Shampoo suspected it to be his attempt at impressing her but at least he was not creating so much problems anymore.

"Say, Shampoo," said Mousse, pausing on his way to deliver an order as Shampoo walked towards him with a tray of empty bowls. "How about tonight we go out and –"

"Oh, come on Mousse. We went out last week. And the week before," said Shampoo.

"B-But we're … I mean –"

"Look, I just don't feel like it. Just for a while okay. Now, you have a table to get to."

"Okay," said Mousse. He walked past Shampoo as she gave way to him, his head lowered and his eyes turned away, feeling embarrassed. He knew that Shampoo did not want anything serious between them but that was hard for him to accept. Not after all they had been through since that rainy night.

He had watched her crumble under the weight of losing Ranma, starting down a dark road of anger and obsession. Moving on was difficult for all of them but his paled in comparison to what that night did to Shampoo. He could not imagine what would have happened if they gave up on trying to pull her out from the beginning.

She seemed alright now but there were still wounds deep inside. Just like everyone else. And he promised to be there for her, to hold her hand if she ever faltered.

The front door bell rang just as Mousse finished placing a family's meal on their table. They were a modest one having ordered a simple set. They thanked him and he bowed back before heading towards the door. Akane had come in and she was looking around for familiar faces when she spotted him and waved. He smiled back.

"Hey Mousse. I see you've got a full house today," said Akane as Mousse walked up to her.

"Yeah. Kind of unusual actually. You happen to know why?" said Mousse.

"Oh, I think it's because Mr. Nishimura's store's closed. Just a little up the street remember? He's taking his family on a trip. Hm, thought he would've told you guys," said Akane.

"Ah, right. He did actually," said Mousse.

Akane leaned back a little and looked at him questioningly.

"Are you alright? You seem troubled," said Akane.

"I'm fine," said Mousse.

"Let me guess. She turned you down?" said Akane.

"N-No … yes," said Mousse.

"Look, if you're bored I'd be glad to fill your moments of loneliness," she said.

Mousse glared at Akane but she only laughed in response.

"Okay, I'm sorry. Look, you're coming onto her a little too hard. Give her some space. She doesn't need you hovering over her all the time. You should know that by now."

"Huh, dating advice coming from you," said Mousse.

"Dating advice? No, just a general one. I am a girl after all," said Akane.

Mousse sighed in defeat.

"Can't believe I'm listening to you," he said.

"You're lucky I'm not like Ukyo. You wouldn't hear the end of it," said Akane.

Akane leaned a little to her right and then to the left, looking around at the people.

"By the way, shouldn't you be running around taking orders or something?" she said.

"Mousse!" came a call from the kitchen. The two turned to look as Shampoo came out to the front carrying a tray with hot food ready for another table.

"Right, coming!" said Mousse. He walked quickly over to Shampoo.

"Hi Akane!" said Shampoo. She handed the tray to Mousse. "Here and don't slow the line down okay," said Shampoo.

"Of course," said Mousse. With nothing else said he turned to deliver it to the table on the far side of the dining hall. Akane walked forward as Mousse left.

"Sorry Akane, you caught us at a busy time," said Shampoo.

"Yeah, sorry about that. I can wait, don't worry," said Akane.

"There's one order I need to finish up and then maybe we could talk," said Shampoo.

"Okay, that's good," said Akane. "Oh, wait," she said just as Shampoo was about to go back into the kitchen. "While you're at it, I'd like four sets of ramen to go please."

Shampoo glared at Akane.

"Okay, okay, sorry," said Akane. "But seriously though."

Just then Cologne came out to the front.

"Oh good, Akane's here. We could use another hand," said Cologne.

"Was that on purpose?" Akane turned her narrowed eyes to the old woman.

"I need Mousse to go on a delivery so in his place you handle the people here," said Cologne.

"B-But I've only got one hand," said Akane.

"And it's still useful," said Cologne. She then turned to Mousse who had just finished serving a recent set for two. "Come boy, you need to go on a delivery," she said, already retreating into the kitchen. Mousse groaned but followed Cologne anyway.

Mousse walked past the kitchen all the way to the back where they stashed their supplies. It was also where they prepared the food for deliveries. There were already several packets arranged on the table. Cologne was just putting the last one into the delivery box that went onto the bicycle.

"Here's the address," said Cologne as she handed Mousse a piece of paper.

"This is like an hour away," he said.

"He doesn't seem to mind apparently. Now go on and make sure you arrive at the correct place," said Cologne.

Mousse sighed but was not going to argue. He folded the piece of paper and kept it safe in one of the many pockets on his robe. He grabbed the delivery box on the table and went out the back door to his bicycle. After making sure that the box was mounted securely, he was off.

* * *

Akane heaved a big sigh as she slumped down into a chair and let her head crash onto the table.

"Oh come now Akane. You need more training if this tires you," said Cologne.

"It was exhausting though," said Shampoo empathetically before walking back to the kitchen.

"I don't know how you keep up with all that," said Akane.

"Well, to be fair you are a little bit at a disadvantage," said Cologne. Akane glared at her and then stood up straight.

"Hmph, I think I did just fine," she said.

"And you did. Consider it as an exercise," said Cologne.

"Yeah. I have been getting better at using only my left hand for things," said Akane. She brought her lone hand up, thankful for still having one.

She looked around. She was surprised at how the day passed by so quickly. It was now not as busy as it was an hour ago. There were still a number of customers left but all of them had their orders already served so Akane could take a break.

"So what brings you here?" said Shampoo as she came out of the kitchen.

"Oh right," said Akane and then stood up. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a card. "An invitation. Remember that Christmas party we did in the dojo last time? We thought that maybe we could have that again this year."

"Wow, that's great Akane," said Shampoo.

"That would be very nice," said Cologne.

Shampoo took the card from Akane and then opened it. Her expression changed when she saw a photo attached to one side of the card. She looked at all the familiar faces and smiled. One person in that crowd stood out to her, a face that she could now only see from photos like these.

"It was the one he gave to me. Just thought that I should share it you know," said Akane.

Shampoo smiled at her.

"Sure, we'd love to come," said Shampoo.

"And no fighting this time," said Akane. Shampoo laughed at that.

Their nostalgia sharply ended when the backdoor slammed open and they heard something hitting the ground in the back room. The three rushed through the kitchen to see what it was.

"Mousse!"

He had fallen face first to the ground but what shocked them were the bruises covering him and blood over his clothes. They hurried over to his side and rolled him over onto his back. Parts of his clothes were torn and there were more bruises on his face. He was breathing weakly and losing consciousness.

Akane rushed outside and scanned the area in case the person who did that to Mousse came back to finish the job. He was a formidable martial artist so whoever beat him up that badly must have not been a typical fighter. Strangely but luckily enough the person had not killed him considering the damage done to Mousse. She waited though in case the assailant came for him.

"Akane, come inside. We'll be ready if he comes," said Cologne.

Akane looked around one more time before retreating into the room. She hoped that this would just pass by, like a sudden gust breaking the calm, but she knew that trouble was on its way.

* * *

Well how'd it go for a start? I'm working up a way to break procrastination by drafting two chapters at a time before publishing them one by one. So right now I have the second chapter's draft up on the site. Just need to go through it and at the same time draft out the next chapter. It won't be long till the next one. And I'm going to try my best at keeping the program up. Thanks for reading and write a comment if you'd like.


	2. Part 1: A Dark Presence

Hey! Sorry it's been so long. Setting up uni life is taking a bit longer than I'd like and I'm still going at it. But I've managed to squeeze this chapter out and that's great! Hope you have a good read.

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**The Darkness of Jusenkyo**

Part 1

A Dark Presence

Akane walked down the hallway while dabbing off the little bit of water still in her hair with a borrowed towel. She felt much better now, having cleaned up after a long day of intense involuntary work. She wondered how the trio went through peak hours on a day-to-day basis by themselves. She was already slowing down after an hour which got her several knocks to the head by Cologne's staff – she could have sworn she saw Shampoo smirking. Her legs felt like they were going to give way and her lone left arm was burning at which point she was silently wishing the shop closed sooner. But before she knew it, four hours had passed and she made through relatively fine, even earning a praise from Cologne. Not that she would willfully do it again.

Tiring but the afternoon went by quite well, that is until Mousse burst in all bloodied and bruised up. Like a rock thrown into a glass window, the cheery mood at the end of the day was shattered, worry and confusion taking its place. She had been restless for the entire evening, her mind on high alert anticipating an ambush. A nice warm bath, offered generously by her hosts was what she needed to loosen up. Cologne also asked Akane to stay for the night as Mousse's attacker might still be roaming around. Akane agreed and also suggested they kept watch while Mousse recovered.

At the moment only Shampoo was with Mousse while Cologne went downstairs to clean up the store for the night. Akane figured she should switch with the girl and let her ease up as well. She reached the room where Mousse was resting in. Slowly she pushed the door open finding Shampoo at the unconscious boy's side.

"He hasn't woken up yet?" said Akane, draping the damp towel over her shoulder. She then sat down beside Shampoo.

"No," said Shampoo.

Akane looked at her friend. It was the first time she saw the girl worry over anything. She had always been a strong character and rarely showed any weaknesses. She was after all raised in a tribe of warriors, the proud Joketsuzoku clan. Despite her steely exterior though, it seems she still had a soft spot for her long time friend.

"Don't worry about it. He'll be alright," said Akane. Shampoo only gave out a barely audible murmur, her eyes still fixated on Mousse.

"How about you go freshen up. I'll watch over him," said Akane.

Shampoo let out a tired sigh and nodded.

"Alright. Thanks Akane," said Shampoo. Akane watched as Shampoo stood up and left the room.

She remembered the two were not this close before that fateful night. What happened then took away something dear to Shampoo but it had also seeded a better relationship between her and Mousse. But Akane had to wonder where was it going. It was about a month since their return from China when Mousse asked Shampoo out on a date. The others only found out after a week and were surprised that Shampoo had agreed to it. Akane and Ukyo kept a close eye on the two, sometimes even stalking them on some of their dates which often got on Shampoo and Mousse's nerves – Ukyo was mostly on the receiving end of their frustrations. The pair seemed to be fine but it was just that. Nearly three months had gone but there was little progress between them. Akane hoped that it was not a precursor to their relationship falling apart.

'_Maybe they're just afraid to find out how they feel about each other. At the moment I'm sure they know they like each other. But _… _I hope there'd be __something more,_' thought Akane.

"Ah, I'll need to try and do something about that," Akane murmured to herself.

She then cast her eyes back at Mousse. His injuries were not serious but the fight he found himself in did wore him out to the point he lost consciousness by the time he reached the Nekohanten. Cologne still had to use a certain kind of remedy to not only heal his body but also to balance out his chi. Some dark energy had found its way in, possibly through the wounds and disrupted Mousse's normal chi flow.

'_Just what is going on here? What kind of person did he fought?_' thought Akane.

"Has the boy come to yet?" said Cologne, almost instantly appearing in the room. Akane, slightly surprised, shook her head.

"No but he seems to be okay now," said Akane. She watched as the old woman went to sit across her.

"I guess he needs the rest. He should be up by morning," said Cologne.

"Akane," said Cologne after some silence. "Did you sense the dark energy?"

"Yes."

"What did it feel like to you? Can you describe it?"

Akane tried to remember. Retracing her steps to that afternoon, to when Mousse walked in half awake. A disturbing aura, faint but just strong enough to notice. It was unlike anything she had felt before. In fact, it was almost as if it did not belong to this world. At the same time, it felt familiar, nostalgic even. Like it had been something both painful and dear to her.

'_Could it be__?_'

* * *

Ryoga sighed in relief when he saw a shop just ahead. He had gone without food for two days. It was usually not a problem for him, having experienced worse circumstances but it was depressing to have lost all of it to scavenging animals. That was the last time he shared with a squirrel.

'_And Akari made them for me too_,' he thought.

As he got closer he noticed the familiar sign above the shop's main entrance. He could already smell her famous okonomiyaki sizzling on the grill. It was late but it looked like there were still customers. Nevertheless he figured he should announce his presence.

"Oh, Ryoga!" said Ukyo as Ryoga slipped through the blinds covering the entrance.

"Hey Ukyo," said Ryoga.

"Come on in. Are you hungry?" she said, already whipping the pancake mix.

"Yes, I'd like one. I haven't had anything to eat for the past couple of days," he said.

"Boy you have it rough huh," she said.

Right after she poured a new batter on the grill, she flipped up the last one she was working on and slipped it into a take-away box. The lone man sitting at a table nearby then stood up to retrieve his order.

"Thank you, come again," said Ukyo as the customer gave her what he owed and left. At that Ryoga pulled up a barstool and sat facing Ukyo.

"How have you been?" said Ryoga.

"I'm alright. Well no, kind of tired actually," she said.

"Why's that?" said Ryoga.

"Well, handling both my restaurant and school work was never easy. I'm afraid I might not finish well enough," said Ukyo.

She paused to flip the okonomiyaki.

"But I guess I'll always have my restaurant," she said and then looked around the empty dining room, smiling.

"So, how about you? How are you enjoying life with Akari?" said Ukyo. Ryoga blushed.

"Well, okay I guess," he said.

"Just okay? Come on, there must be something more after living with each other after a while."

"I-I like it really, living with her, helping around with things, learning about the sumo pigs. Haven't gotten used to them yet though."

"Okay, anything else?"

"Hm?"

"Oh, you know. You and her. Anything … interesting going on?"

Ryoga's face reddened further.

"Th-That's private," he said.

"Oh come on. It'll be just between you and me," she said.

Ryoga looked away, embarrassed to be talking about such things, with Ukyo of all people.

"We've … begun talking about … about marriage," said Ryoga.

"Haaa! Really!? That's great!" said Ukyo.

"Hey, hey, it's not official or anything."

"I know but it's something at least." Ukyo paused. "Wow, I can't believe it. Mousse and Shampoo getting together. You and Akari."

"Ukyo …"

"Ukyo! I'll be – Ah." The young girl stopped in her tracks just as she entered the hall from the back upon noticing the familiar guest sitting at the counter.

"Kiyuri, you remember Ryoga don't you?" said Ukyo.

Kiyuri bashfully smiled and bowed at Ryoga before turning back to Ukyo.

"Nice to see you Ryoga," said Kiyuri. "I'm going home now," she said, turning her attention back to her boss.

"Thanks for the day Kiyuri. Be careful now."

"Don't worry, I'm heading back with a friend. Thank you Ukyo. I'll see you on the weekends," she said and then went out.

"Did something happen recently?" said Ryoga.

"Thought you wouldn't know yet," said Ukyo. She then placed Ryoga's okonomiyaki in a plate already set in front of him.

"Six people have gone missing in the past month. The police are investigating but so far nothing's turned up. No traces, no witnesses, nothing."

"That's terrible," said Ryoga.

"But you know what's scary. I think that they're linked to each other. Maybe there's more to the disappearances."

"Why do you say so?"

"It's just a rumor. Leaked information apparently. But it seems that all six had one thing in common. They've all been to China," said Ukyo.

"China?" said Ryoga.

'_Jusenkyo?_'

* * *

The address belonged to a house that was by the edge of the Nerima ward. Mousse wondered how the person knew about the Nekohanten. It was not that popular – they were still working on that. There were other Chinese-owned restaurants all around Nerima after all.

After making some turns and U-turns, Mousse was beginning to feel frustrated but he eventually found the house. A small terrace among rows of equally small houses. It belonged to a family of four judging from the delivery pack. The man whom Mousse assumed to be the father thanked and apologized for troubling the young Chinese man.

"No, not at all. Don't worry about it," said Mousse.

The man paid what he owed and politely closed the door as Mousse turned back to his bicycle. It would be another hour back but he decided to not rush as he had coming here. He enjoyed the quiet neighborhood, a relief from the busy town center and restaurant. He did not want to imagine what it was like in the big cities.

But it was short-lived. He felt a presence; faint but strange enough that he could make it out. He pulled on the brakes and stopped to focus his senses. A dark spot in the air but that was all he could feel. Mousse was curious and despite possibly risking himself, he decided on a direction and cycled towards it.

It stayed faint but Mousse felt he was getting closer to its source. Something dark and sinister. He felt it crawling on his skin as though the air itself was alive, its hands brushing all over him.

He hit the brakes, so hard that he almost tipped over. To his left was a small road that went a long way. Whatever it was he felt came from down that road. Mousse hesitated. He did not want to be caught up in something that would endanger him and more importantly Shampoo but he had come this far and now so close to whatever it was. He needed to know.

Mousse made the turn into the road and cycled fast.

His intuition was right when he saw two suspicious figures in the distance; one on the ground while the other standing over him. Mousse worked his bicycle to the max, pushing it to near breaking point. It looked like the person on his back was in trouble.

The one standing noticed him approaching but Mousse was still far away to make out his features. There was a glint in his hand. It took Mousse only a split second to realize what he was about to do.

On impulse Mousse launched several of his hidden blades towards the man. He dodged them but it gave enough time for Mousse to catch up. The man glared at him before leaping away onto a roof.

"Hey!" said Mousse but he was already gone. Mousse then jumped off his bicycle and went over to the one lying down.

"Hey! Are you alright?!" he said. The man had taken a severe beating. His clothes were torn and his body was covered in bruises but otherwise still alive, barely.

"Are you okay?" said Mousse, shaking the man. Aside from his weak breathing, the man was unresponsive. He was alive but not for long unless he got emergency treatment. Mousse lifted the man over his shoulder. He needed to get the man to safety and from the looks of it the attacker was not going to let his victim slip away.

He ran in the direction of the Nekohanten with one hand holding the unconscious man. From time to time he would quickly take a look at the man in case he woke up or became worse. His senses fired up as the air swelled of the dark energy he had felt. Mousse stopped and turned to see the attacker from before standing on a roof looking down at him.

Mousse jumped out of the way as the man threw a number of blades at him, embedding themselves into the ground. A sudden splash of cold water hit his head. His skin hummed and he felt the curse trying to act up but nothing happened. He did not change. But he no longer felt the man on his back. Mousse turned around just as the bodiless clothes fell off of him. Mousse went on his knees to search the pile and found a small writhing rat.

His senses flared up again and Mousse jumped back with the cursed man's rat body in his hand. He now had a good look of the attacker. Lean build, average height, black hair, strong eyes. A normal looking young man save for the dark aura he gave out.

"You're too late. His time has come," said the man.

Mousse was about to ask what he meant when he felt something cold crawling up his hand. Water! And it was pooling around the rat, then crept onto its body and encased it, lifting it off Mousse's hand.

"No!"

This was all too familiar. His heart was racing. His head was pulsing. He could not believe that he was seeing this again. Mousse snatched the water shell out of the air and tried to pry it open.

"Sorry but that's not going to work." A thin dark aura surrounded the man. "Ah, I slipped up. I'm supposed to be discreet. I'm not supposed to leave any witnesses."

The black energy surrounding him peeled off his body and onto the road at his side. The swirling aura was turning into a large figure, 7-feet tall with long arms and legs. It began to take a more physical form but the aura still swirled around its body, making it look more like smoke. It was black all over and there were no other features on it except for its man-like limbs and red eyes, distinguishing itself from a normal human being, a normal creature even.

"He'll keep you company. I need to be in other places. You might want to concentrate on this guy here. There's really nothing you can do about the rat now," said the man before running off.

Mousse looked at the water-encased rat. He was not going to listen to his taunts. Back then it was different. The shell was larger and much more robust. This time maybe he could break it and save the cursed man.

'_I need to lose this thing fast_,' he thought.

He leaped onto a roof and started to put some distance between him and whatever that was. But he knew getting away would not be that easy and true enough the black creature was bounding quickly across the rooftops. Mousse then jumped high and twisted his body around at the same time launching a number of daggers at it.

"Take this!"

It dodged the projectiles but Mousse managed to buy one or two more seconds to break away. The beast was farther behind now. He needed to find someplace to stop and try to force the trapped rat free. He was running out of time.

Mousse seemed to have lost the monster but he knew it would not be too long before it caught up to him. He jumped down into an alley and then immediately tried to break the shell open. He tried using his hands and then his weapons but nothing was working. Just like last time.

The ground shook as the monster dropped behind him. Mousse did not respond quickly enough and took a strong blow from the monster's large hand, throwing him across the alley and out onto the street. People passing by gasped before screaming and running away as the monster stomped out of the alley.

Mousse eyed the dying cursed man behind the approaching beast. He could almost feel the man's life slipping away. He pulled out his twin sabers and slipped into a stance, ready to fight the enemy. He only needed to immobilize it and escape with the water shell.

The creature threw its head back and let out a demonic roar before charging at Mousse. Its large hand swung down on Mousse but he ducked and slipped to his left. He was about to deal his first strike when the creature swung its right hand at him again. Mousse crossed his sabers in front of him and jumped back just as its hand grazed his swords. Its other hand came down on him again but Mousse managed to leap away.

'_It's fast_,' he thought.

It straightened up before charging at Mousse again. He spun and turned away just as its hand came down on him. There was a split second opening and Mousse swung both his blades and slashed the creature's arm. A large wound split open and black fumes began to leak out of it but it almost immediately closed up.

"Figured that would've happened," said Mousse.

He was not ready for the next blow and it sent him flying through a wall. The residents of the breached house screamed and ran out of their damaged living room. Mousse was a bit shaken from the impact but was able to get back up. The creature was already at the opening and it raised its hand for another hit. Mousse timed his attack and cross-slashed the creature's fist, a defensive and offensive move that managed to stagger the creature. His head was still ringing but he needed to make use of the opening. He ducked around the creature and escaped out onto the street.

'_I'm out of time_,' he thought.

Mousse went back to the alley and without stopping picked up the encased rat. He leaped onto the roof above him and started to run off. He did not manage to get far before the impacts he had sustained began to affect him. He had to take a breather but he also took that time to try break the man free.

"Damn it! Open up!" He was not even putting a dent to the shell.

He felt the creature's aura closing in. He looked behind and just barely dodged an incoming roof tile. But that left him open and the creature surged forward and landed a big swipe on Mousse. Again he was thrown back, tumbling across rooftops and chipping some tiles off.

The water shell had fallen from his hand, too far for him to reach it. He knew, even though he did not want to admit it, that the person could not be saved. He watched as the shell finally broke away and the body of the now dead man reappeared. The creature stood beside the corpse, staring at Mousse as if mocking him.

Mousse slowly stood up. He almost fell forward as pain shot through his body. He had lost his sabers so he pulled out a spear, figuring that a heavier weapon might bring down the creature. He adjusted his footing to find a strong position and eyed the unmoving monster in front of him.

He decided to attack first. With a roar he charged at the monster, shooting quick jabs at it. He was not going to stop and continued striking even faster so that the beast had no chance to counter him. His attacks were pushing it back and ripping wounds open. Streams of smoke-like dark energy surrounded the staggering beast. Without skipping a beat, Mousse then sliced the beast right across its chest and then quickly opening another wound the other way. He yelled out as he plunged his spear through the center of the cross on its chest. The beast stepped back, almost falling due to the force of Mousse's attack.

Mousse was ready with another pair of blades as he stood a few paces away, anticipating the monster to attack. But it looked like his offensive move was working as the wounds were not closing up. It was time to end this.

Just as the monster pulled out the spear lodged in its chest, Mousse charged in and launched a series of strong slashes on it. The beast was slow to respond, leaving itself open to Mousse's intensifying attacks. It was quick but in the short time he landed hundreds of blows on it. One of its arms fell off and dissolved into black smoke. Mousse let out another yell and ripped open a large wound from the beast's shoulder all the way across to its hip. A final blow that obliterated its body, finally disintegrating and disappearing with the wind.

Mousse recovered into a relaxed stance while watching the remains of the monster fade away. His legs gave way but he managed to catch himself from falling face first with his hands. His last frenzy strained his already bruised body but he needed to get back to the Nekohanten. Whatever it was he faced today, it had something to do with Jusenkyo and he needed to warn them.

* * *

Normally it would have been just fine to be outside at night in Nerima but with recent events happening people opted to stay at home. If they needed to go out it was advisable to not wander alone. Ryoga was confident that he was able to take care of himself and that he would not be brought down easily. But Ukyo had a way with words and she managed to convince him that he needed her to come along – Ryoga did not want to get lost on the way to his house anyway.

It was not a bad idea to have Ukyo as company. At least it was not just a quiet walk. She talked to him, he talked back and about all sorts of things. Reminiscing and laughing, regretting over embarrassing moments and nostalgia for wonderful days. They had completely forgotten about the missing cases and were now just two people enjoying each other's company.

When she thought about it, Ukyo had a rather small circle of friends. She was after all busy with school and the restaurant. Apart from the expedition group and their families, there was no one else close to her. So whenever she bumped into one of them she made sure that their time together was well-spent. She could then go home happy and satisfied.

"Well, here we are," said Ukyo upon arriving at the front gates of Ryoga's house.

"Thanks Ukyo. Couldn't have found it without you," said Ryoga.

"I-It was nothing," said Ukyo, feeling slightly embarrassed.

They were facing each other but their eyes were cast down while silence filled the space between them.

"Oh, I almost forgot. Akane's planning to put together a Christmas party. You know, like the one a couple of years ago. It'd be great if you and Akari could come," said Ukyo.

"A Christmas party. Sure, we'd love to," said Ryoga, smiling at the memory.

A strange presence, both ominous and familiar interrupted their conversation. The two shifted their glance towards a shadowy figure facing them from across the road. Having been noticed, the person walked towards the lightened part of the road and revealed himself.

"Hello Ryoga, it's been a while," he said, relieved to see the young man once again.

"Father," was all Ryoga could say.

* * *

There we go. It's a bit short but this was all that was planned for this chapter. I kind of feel it's going a little bit fast too. The next one I hope won't take long to come up.


End file.
